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A review by heidibaumgart
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The main characters were wonderful. How they interconnected and their hopes and fears got on each other … I thought that was great. The bit parts weren’t great. At the beginning of Part 2, it felt like when you have to do time period research and you over describe fashion and music to prove that you did the research, or lived in that time. It was like a bingo card spaces of 80s / Malibu related people and culture. (Thanks goodness Rob Lowe was mentioned or it really would have been bad - research for 80s Malibu.)
The tie up was satisfying. The fire was just bookends and not really necessary except for the bingo card.
Also imho:
Evelyn > Malibu > Daisy
Reading TJR in publish order. Only Carrie Soto is left and I’m not looking forward to it, having met her in Malibu Rising. But then I will have completed the TJR author binge…
The tie up was satisfying. The fire was just bookends and not really necessary except for the bingo card.
Also imho:
Evelyn > Malibu > Daisy
Reading TJR in publish order. Only Carrie Soto is left and I’m not looking forward to it, having met her in Malibu Rising. But then I will have completed the TJR author binge…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical trauma, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
The main characters were wonderful. How they interconnected and their hopes and fears got on each other … I thought that was great. The author does grief and dealing with it in a very layered multidimensional way emin every book.
The bit parts weren’t great. At the beginning of Part 2, it felt like when you have to do time period research and you over describe fashion and music to prove that you did the research, or lived in that time. It was like a bingo card spaces of 80s / Malibu related people and culture. (Thanks goodness Rob Lowe was mentioned or it really would have been bad - research for 80s Malibu.)
The tie up was satisfying. The fire was just bookends and not really necessary except for the bingo card.
Also imho:
Evelyn > Malibu > Daisy
Reading TJR in publish order. Only Carrie Soto is left and I’m not looking forward to it, having met her in Malibu Rising. But then I will have completed the TJR author binge…